I retired from my full-time position in April 2011, switching to 3-day-a-week consulting; and I retired from my part-time position to full retirement in April 2017. With the first transition to part-time, it was smooth with no surprises; however, with the transition to full retirement, there were three important and unexpected lessons / surprises. …

Longevity studies offer a clear equation. The lower your blood pressure, the longer you live; and the higher your blood pressure, the shorter you live. Unfortunately, one in three Americans have high blood pressure – blood pressure 140/90 (or higher). At age 65, 75% of women have high blood pressure, and 65% of men have…

Let me ask: When did you last touch the earth? Was it a couple of minutes ago? An hour ago? A couple of days ago? A couple of weeks ago? Here’s what counts as touching the earth. Walking barefoot on the dirt or sand, yes. Gardening with your hands, yes. Or swimming in the ocean,…

If I were to list my top ten stressors in retirement, it would include several issues that I would never have imagined. Right now, four of those top stressors would be Breaking News, Fake News, Robocalls, and Non-Requested Email Ads. Do they sound insignificant? They are not. They can ruin a nice daydream. I…

As someone who has attended multiple conferences on retirement with scores of professional presentations, I find it ironic that the best piece of retirement advice came from my own barber. The man did not have a college degree, but he had something better. He had common sense and an ability to prioritize what was truly…

Many people assert that the biggest challenge of retirement is financial. It is difficult to forgo active income and settle for a lower level of passive income. However, I think the biggest challenge of retirement is redesigning your life, your relationships, and – to some extent – yourself. If you can accomplish this task, then…

For this blog, instead of focusing on the best possible healthy diet, I am going to focus on the worst possible, least healthy diet. Specifically, the below list of foods underscores specific items that are dangerous to your health and longevity. These toxic foods are associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes,…

For increased longevity, in 6th century B.C., people were advised to consume a mix of root powder, gold, honey, and butter. In 133 B.C. Cleopatra bathed in donkey’s milk. In the 3rd century, ancient Taoists recommended a diet of spices, vegetables, turtles, crane eggs, and other foods from long-living creatures. In the 4th century, Ge…

When discussing health and longevity, most medical experts highlight the need for a healthy diet and the need for a regular exercise regimen. Too many of those experts fail to address the central importance of sleep. Yet, think about this fact. All of us can last for a couple of days without drinking, eating, or…

More and more studies are demonstrating how exposure to air pollution increases cognitive decline, plus increases the risk of developing dementia. Just living near heavy traffic is considered a high-risk factor for both of those conditions, more than doubling your risk. If you live in an urban, polluted setting, you may want to re-evaluate your…